Writing-machine.



k0 858.179. PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

E. B. HESS.

' WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1905.

QSHEETB-SKEET 1.

QQ (0d W @W FATENTED JUNE 25, 1907. 4 E. B. HBSS.

WRITING MACHINE APPLIOATIOH FILED JAN. 30, 1905.

' SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No.858,17. 'PATENTED JUNE25,19Q7.

E. B. HESS.

WRITING MACHINE.

APPLI OA'QIOH FILED JAR. 30,1905.

: /i v u m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. HESS, OF NEW YORK, Y.,ASS1(1.\OR TO ROYAL -lYPE-.

"RITER COMPANY, OF IIOBOKEX, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

WRiTlNG-MACHENE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed January 30. 1906. Serial No. 243,441.

To all .11.'// om i/ mu wn/(Wfl'lb: l Be it known that l, EDWARD B. llsss, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough ofBrooklyn, city and State of N cw York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVriting-M achincs, of which the following a specification.

This invention relates primarily to-that class; of typewriting machines in which either the platen or type bar segment is shifted up and down to print upper and "lower case, and m which the impressions successively made are visible to the operator.

In the present instance the invention is shown embodied in a machine having a vertically shifting platen.

The invention comprises certain new features of construction and operation relating to locking and shifting the movable member.

The drawing, which shows the ihvention in a form that experience has demonstrated to he practicable and cllicient, illustrates oniy so much-of a writing machine as is desirable for the' purpose of disclosing the invention. v

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section just inside of the side plate at the left of the machine; l ig.- 2, alike section, with the parts in a different position; Fig. 3, a like section with the parts in still another position; Fig. 4, a similar section taken at the opposite side of the machine; Fig. 5, a bottom plan; Fig. 6, a detailed view showing the base rail of the carriage and adjust-able stop at each side of the machine upon which it rests; and Fi 7, a detail sectional View showing a modification.

The carriage, which may be of any appropriate type, is carried by horizontally disposed parallel links (1,1), (therebeing one pair at each side of the machine) whose outer ends are connected by vertically disposed end of which engages either one of a series.

oi teeth 1 on the edge of an adjustable plate g pivoted upon the side plate of the machine and .set in desired position by a slot tindset-s rew. The reaction of this spring,

I l i i l i it the upper rail;

ball race.

show any further support for the carriage l l i r l i i l l r l l as any usual or appropriate construction may be adopted.

The base rail .h may extend beyond the plates, and,-a-s shown in Fig. 6, each side plate 71 has in it a recess in the bottom of which is seated a screw bolt 2' )rovided with a lock nut, constitutinq an a justable bottom rest or support for the rail.

On the vertical link 0, at the left hand side of the machine, is attached an angle late j, the upwardly extending end of w iich is formed with a locking notch j normally engaged by a latch is pivoted on the side plate of the machine and having a horizontally extending lu k that iit-s in the notch j. A link m, pivotall attached to the latch It, extends forward horizontally and is pivotally connected at m with the lower part of the inner end of an arm n secured to and extending rearwardly. from a rockshaft 0 turning in hearings in the side plates at the front ofthe machine. A spring 0 applied around the rock shaft serves, by its reaction, to normally hold the arm n in the elevated position shown in Fig. 1. At the left hand side oi the machine, an arm 1), extends down-- wardly from the rock shaft (Z and has at its end a headed stud p aroundwhich is-loosely hooked the bent end of a link g which extends toward the front of the machine and is pivotallyconnectedat q with the upper part of the rear end of the arm n. The flat stem. r of a shift key r extends through a slot in the step ed keyboard plate and also through a sot in a guide plate 1' and'its lower end is pivotally connected at r with the arm n near its rear end. The cross pin 1' in the'stem'below the guide plate r serves tov limit the upward movement of the ste n.

, Downward movement of the carriage is, as stated, limited or determined by the stops 5/. Upward movement is limited or determined by horizontally projecting arms or bolts 8, one at each side of the machine, that abut against adjustable screw stops 8 mounted on "sition for continued printing of the upper ,the latch is from the locking plate j,

In the normal or lower 0- sition of the carriage in which it is locl ed by engagement with the latch is with the angular locking plate j, a straight line, connecting the axis of the shaft 0 with the axis of the pivotal connection between the rod m and the latch is, is above the pivotal connections m between the link m and arm n, while a straight line, connecting the axis of the rock shaft '0 with the axis of the stud p, lies below the connection g of the link qwith the arm a. When, therefore, the shift key 1" at the left hand side of the machine, is depressed, the link m is drawn forwardly, disengaging thereby the the side plates.

releasing or unlocking the carriage. sametime link q is moved rearwardly, its hooked end merely slipping upon the stud p. This behavior of the parts is illustrated in Fig. 2. (,ontinued depression of the kc and of the arm n, which is moved downwar ly by it, draws link g toward the front of the machine and the strain thereof exerted upon the arm p actuates the rock shaft d and shifts or elevates the carriage. The strain upon the link g, on elevation of the carriage, is exerted just after the pivotal connection q passes below the straight line connecting the axes of p and the rock shafto, and consequently the action is that of a reverse or breaking toggle; and therefore the initial resistance opposed to the depression of the shirt key at this stage of the operation is reduced to a minimum, movement of the carriage at that v time when its inertia is being overcome bein slowest, and the speed at which it is elevated being accelerated as the pivotal point q passes downward. This feature of the con taken in connection with the counterbalancing of the machine by means of the spring 1, affords a very light and uniform touch for the shift key.

The purpose of employing a rock shaft 0. instead of merely providing the arm n at the left side of the machine, with a pivotal connection, is to ermit the use of another shift key at the rig it hand side of the key board. This is illustrated in Fig. 4 which shows a shift key 5 whose stem t is pivotally connected with an arm I? secured to and extending rearwardly from the right hand end of the rock shaft. Depression, therefore, of either shift key, 1' or 1., equally ell'ects, first, un-

locking and then shifting of the carriage or platen.

in order to lock the carriage in elevated pocase characters, the arm t" is extended rearwardly beyond its ivotal connection with the stem of the shift rey and is provided with a laterally projecting adjustable eccentric screw bolt or lug a, which, when the shift key is depressed, may be engaged bv the lower end of apivoted lever o normally retracted by a spring 11' but which may be thrown forl ass-n79 ward over thelug u to lock the carriage or platen in elevated osition by means of its upper end whichis ocated at the right of the keyboard. When the carriage has been elevated by depression of either shift key and has been so locked it may be released b merely pressing upon the right hand sh t key 3 such pressure, b reason of the tension exerted upon shaft 0, or the minute yielding of other parts, is suflicient to so reduce or eliminate thefrictional contact between lug a and the lower end of the lever '0 as that the light spring applied to the lever, and normally tending to retract it, will return it to normal position and riage to descend when pressure upon thesh1 t key is released. In Fig. complishing the lieu of lever arm n, a cured to shaft 0. Stem 1' is applied to its upper horizontal arm; link m is connected at w to the end of its downwardly extending arm; and link q is applied to the latter arm at w between shaft 0 and the oint w. the different lengths of tiie arcs describe by the points w in, when pendent arm of the bell crank moves toward the front of the machine, latch k, k will first be removed from 7 is shown a modified means of ac,

described 0 erations.

thereby permit the carbell cran lever w isse Owin to' j, j, and then link qwill operate to swing arm and elevate the carriage.

The arrangement herein described of employing a forwardly moving draw bar to shift the carriage has the advantage not. only of economy of space but makes it permissible to shift the carriage by a finger iiece at each side of the key board (without the use of the ordinary long key levers), to lock the shifted carriage and readily release it by pressure on either shift finger piece.

I claim as my invention.

l. The combination with the shiftingmember of a typewriting machine, of a shiit'key, and an operative connection between the key and said member comprising two pivotally. connected links which. on the action of the shift key, act as a reverse toggle to thereby effect the shifting oflsaid membeix.

2. The combination with the shiftirl gmembcr of'a writing machine. of a flexing connection comprising two pivotally connected links arranged'end to end and means for flexing the links as a-reverse shifting of said member.

3. The combination with the shifting member of a typewriting machine, of a latch locking the member in normal position, a rear wardly extending link rocking about a point located at the front of the machine, and two linksfpivotally connected therewith, one operativelv connected with the latch and t e other to said shifting member, and means for depressing the front link to thereby withdraw the latch and then shift said mem er.

a. The combinationwith the shifting mem toggle to effect a an operatiyeconnection between i said arranged and to end and the toggle, a third link the first named link and to the shifting member, said first and third S5 seams her of a typewrit-ing machine, of a shift key, the key and member comprising two pivotally connected links which, on the action of the shift key,.a'ctas a reverse toggle to thereby effect the shifting of. said member, and a-sprin for connterbalancing the weight of the shi ting member.

5. The combination with the shifting member, of a writing machine, of afiexing connection comprising two pivotally connected links means for flexing the linksas a reverse toggle to effect a shiftin of said member, and a spring for counterbaiancing the weight of the shifting member.

6. The combination with the shiftin member of a typewriting machine, of ing the member in normal position, a rearwardly extending link rocking about a oint located at the front of the machine, an two links Ipivotally connected therewith, one operative y connected with the latch andthe other to said shifting member, and meansfor depressing the front link to thereby withdraw the latch and then shift said member and a spring for counterbalancing the weight of the s 1 ifti 9 member.

7. The combination of the shifting member of a typewriting machine, a latch looking it in norma position, a rearwardly extending link rocking about an axis at the front of the ma chine, a link extending from the lower side of the first named link to the latch, and a'link extending ,from the upper side of the first named link to the shiftin member, the point of connection between t 1e first and second named links and the point of connection be tween the first and third named links, being respectively above and below a line joining the axis of the first named link and the point of connection between. the shifting member and its operating link.

8. The combination of the shifting mem ber of atypewriting machine, of a latch looking it in normal position, .rearwardly extending link turning about an axisinthe front ofthe machine, a link pivotally connected thereto and extending rearwardly'to the latch, the two links constituting a toggle, and the, pivotal connection between the two located to one side ofthe center line of pivotally connectedto ex tending re arw ard lg being named links constituting a toggle andthe pivotalconnection between the two being located on the rmposite'side of the center line 'of the toggle, and means for-swinging the first named lmk about its axis to thereby first operate the latch and tlien move the shifting member.

i). The combination with. the shifting member of a typewriting machine, of a rock shaft mounted. at. the f ont of the n1acl1inc,an arm or link oxtcndir rearwardly therefrom at a late look:

ing'. member whereby each side of the machine, a shift key operatively connected with each of from'at each side of the machine, a shift {key operatively connected with each of said arms, a link pivotally connected with one of said arms and extendin rearwardly to the shifting member where y said member may be shifted by depression of the shift key at either side of the machine, and a friction latch adapted to engage one of said arms when de pressed to'thereby hold the shifting member in s ically withdrawing said latch when strain is exerted upon the rearwardly extending arm to which the latch'is applied:

11. The combination with the shifting member of a typewriting machine, of a rock machme,

shaft mounted at the front of the with one of.

hifted position, and a spring for automatan arm or link extending rearwardly therefrom at each side of the machine, a shift key operatively connected with each of said arms, a 'link p'iVotally connected'with one of said arms and extending rearwardly to the shift shifted by depression of the shift key at either side of the machine, and a friction latch adapted to engage "one of said arms when depressed to thereby holdthe shifting member in shifted position, and a spring for said member may be' automatically withdrawing said latch when pressure'is exerted upon the shift key connected with the rearwardly to.which the latch is applied. 12. The combination with the shifting extending arm member of a writing machine of a latch l ocking it in normal position, a shift key and two key, and with the'latch and shifting member respectively, and; having unequal cndwise movement, whereby on depression of'the key the latch is first disengaged from the shifting member and then said member is shifted.

In a front-stroko Writing machine, the shlftingmembcr thereof adapted to slnft ver--.

tica lly, in combination with a shifting drawbari operatively connected with the shifting I 1 0 links operatively connected with the. shift adapted to shift vertieelly, a, shift key, a loeki ng devi'ce for locking the shifteble membBI'ifiDOIHlfiLPOSifiOIL and an operative con- 'ne'ction between the key and the shifting first unlocked end then shifted,

15. writin machine comprising a. shifting member, a etch for lockin it in normal position, two forwardly-exten ing links .one connected to the latch and the other connected to the shifting member and a swing- Whic the front ends 'of such links are so coning a'rt at the front of the machine with nected that on actuation of such part the latch is first 0 erated to release the shifting member by t e endwise movement of one link and then said member shifted by the endwise mOYBIDGHt ofthe other link.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

Witnesses:

E. F. PORTER, L. F. BROWNING.

EDWAR B; HESS. 

